Business Process Design (BPD) is like creating a detailed game plan for how your company’s daily work will be done inside the SAP system.
After the Kick-Off meeting (where the project starts officially and goals are discussed), BPD is one of the first major activities. Think of it as the bridge between your current way of working and how you’ll do things in SAP.
Why Is BPD So Important?
Imagine you’re building a new house (SAP system). Before construction begins, you need a blueprint showing where the rooms, walls, and doors will go. BPD is that blueprint for your business processes.
Without a clear design:
- People won’t know how to do their jobs in SAP.
- The system might not support your actual business needs.
- There could be chaos at go-live!
Steps in the BPD Phase – Explained Simply
Here’s how BPD typically works:
1. Understand How Things Are Done Today (AS-IS Process)
- Teams from different departments explain how they do their jobs now.
- Example: “Here’s how we create a sales order,” or “This is how we pay suppliers.
- Consultants observe and ask questions to understand the current flow.
2. Design the Future Way of Working in SAP (TO-BE Process)
- Highbar experts suggest improved ways of working using SAP features.
- You decide which SAP tools to use and how your business should function in the new system.
- Example: Automating approval for invoices, or integrating inventory management with finance.
3. Draw the Process Flows
- These are step-by-step maps of how each process will work in SAP.
- Example: A flow showing “Create Purchase Requisition → Get Approval → Create Purchase Order → Goods Receipt → Invoice Posting.”
4. Do a Fit-Gap Analysis
- “Fit” = SAP already supports your process out of the box.
- “Gap” = SAP doesn’t fully support it; you may need customizations or workarounds.
- You make decisions: Customize SAP or adjust your process?
5. Review and Approve
- Department heads and business users check the new designs.
- Once everyone agrees, the designs are locked and passed to the next stage (system setup/configuration).
What You Get from BPD (Deliverables)
Deliverable | What It Means |
|---|---|
BPD Document | A detailed written explanation of each business process and how it will work in SAP. |
Process Maps/Flowcharts | Visual diagrams showing each step and who does what. |
Fit-Gap Report | A table that shows where SAP fits your process and where it doesn’t. |
Change Impact Report | Summary of how these changes will affect the way people work. |
Where BPD Fits in the SAP Project Timeline
Using the SAP Activate Methodology, the project goes like this:
- Discover: Planning and preparation.
- Explore: This is where BPD happens – you design how your business will run in SAP.
- Realize: The SAP system is set up and configured using the BPD documents.
- Deploy: Final testing, training, and go-live.
- Run: The system is live and running; ongoing support happens here.
Real-Life Example
Let’s say your company sells construction materials. Today, your sales team writes orders in Excel, and finance enters invoices in another tool.
In BPD:
1. You map this process out
2. Then, design a new process where:
- Sales orders are created directly in SAP
- The system automatically creates an invoice
- Payment reminders are sent via SAP workflows
3. This new design is documented, visualized, approved—and used to configure SAP.
Why Do Companies Love a Well-Done BPD?
- Helps everyone understand the new way of working.
- Reduces surprises and confusion later in the project.
- Makes sure SAP is actually helping your business (not making it harder).
- Saves time and money in the long run.
